A Ravnican Life
by Andjuzane
Summary: No overpowered nonsense, no planeswalking, just a young man who took a deal. Ravnica, 5 years, life and adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**So I couldn't take it anymore. All the op oc stories have finally driven me off the deep end. The it came to me. What would really happen if you got sent to a different plane? The first answer is you die. Th second is you try and survive. I thought that'd be pretty fun actually so I got to work and this is the result. No planeswalking, no powers, just trying to get by one Ravnica. If it's enjoyed I'll continue, if not, I'll probably continue anyway. It's good practice.**

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Somewhere in the multiverse there exists a room that's neither here nor there. It wasn't part of any house or temple nor devious torture chamber or labyrinth. It was merely a magical room. It appeared when needed, left when bored, and adjusted the world around it to fit its being. Not really a creature but much more than a construct the magical room flitted about. In and between planes of existence much like a small child in an aquarium. Moving from one exhibit to the next and admiring the denizens within. No one really knows if it can think, feel or if it's even able to use such higher mental functions. After all, it's a magical room.

More interesting than the room itself is what's going on inside the room. Oh yes, things happen inside it just like any other of its kind. Talking, breathing, choices made and deals struck. Amazing things can happen and indeed have happened within those wandering walls. Trades from riches to immortality, grudges harbored and old scars mended, religions born and gods slain. If those walls could talk they'd have countless stories to tell. Or would they? It might be a secretive room after all, who knows?

But I digress, all stories for another time. For now we would do well to focus on the two currently residing in the room. For that's where the story really begins.

Picture a glass box floating in space. Stars in every direction, some brighter than others, floating past with only the thinnest barrier between you and them. That is what the room looked like inside, or maybe that's what it chose to look like for that particular occasion? In the middle of the floor stood a table with two individuals seated on opposites sides.

To the far side sat a man dressed to impress in an astoundingly deep purple three piece suit with unnaturally white tie. His dark hair was slicked back against his head until it flared out around the back of his neck. The man's face could be described as dull. He was someone you could meet in the most exciting of circumstances and still forget his name the next time you met. The only thing that would give him away would be the ear to ear smile that revealed a sharks grin of unnaturally pointed teeth.

Across from him sat someone not so extravagant. A young adult, no older than 22 with a mess of brown hair and skinny build leaned back against his chair. A plain black t shirt and a pair of brown cargo pants contrasted greatly against the well dressed being across from him.

The two stared at each other and let the stars pass by before the young man spoke.

"So what you're saying is that I get five years on any plane of my choice."

"Correct."

"And no one will freak out while I'm gone."

"You'll be considered... on an extended vacation."

"People are just ok with that?"

"Magic kid, I don't have to explain shit." The youth looked out to his right, pondering for a moment.

"Do I get any type of start up?" The purple man's smile sagged only slightly.

"Define start up."

"Like a base and an allowance." His grin quickly returned to full strength.

"Housing, a week's worth of provisions, and an initial financial cache will be provided. As a bonus you'll get neat little guide covering the basics of your chosen plane." It was the youths turn to raise an eyebrow. The well dressed man clapped his hands together still smiling heartily.

"Come now, you wanna go to a completely different world and not know how the basic economy works? Banks, trades, taxes, mana data, info on the different races? Damn kid, I thought you were smart."

In truth he hadn't thought about that. To be fair it's not really the first thing you think about when someone asks if you want to go to a different world for a small chunk of your life. He quickly nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I gotchya. Alright, since we're on the topic of basics. What about the native language? How am I supposed to deal with that?"

"Magic's got it."

"Kay, reading the language?"

"Maaaaaaagic."

"Back ground info? I can't just tell them I'm from another world."

"Three guesses to what handles it and the first two don't count." The youth let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair to ponder. The purple man merely rested his elbows on the table and cupped his chin in his palms smiling like an asylum patient.

"Alright, for recap. I get to choose any plane I want to visit and go there. Once there I HAVE to stay there for five years. Everything at home will be taken care of and I'll come back like I was on a vacation. On the new plane I'm stuck there. No planeswalking, no over powered bullshit, just stuck there as I am now. A young man fresh out of college and hoping to make a mark on the world." He paused to shoot his colleague a look, making sure he was on track.

"Dead on so far kiddo." Came the smooth reply.

"BUT. While I'm on the plane I can learn magic if I feel so inclined. At the end of five years I'll be whisked back to my world with all my memories and skills intact. Hey, does that mean I can do magic at home?"

"I wouldn't know." He replied slyly.

"Shit. Eh, we'll see I guess." Once more he went into thought, this time staring at the ceiling and watching a shooting star streak by before winking out of sight.

"Hey, what happens if I die?" He looked down and noticed the man's features had taken on an almost gleeful cover. His smile was impossibly wide with a deranged glint surfacing in his eyes.

"That." He said with a voice of constrained excitement. "Is unknown until it happens." He quickly caught himself. "If it happens.."

"Uhhh huh." Yeah, it was obvious he knew, but it wasn't worth the pointless questioning. Besides, he was a bit freaky.

"Alright. I'm in." The purple man had smoothed over his once manic features into something more approachable before pulling out an odd shaped pen and a rolled up sheet of what looked like leather. He unrolled it along the table and quickly scribbled a few things down.

"You're plane of choice?" he asked.

"Ravnica." said the young man with finality.

"Ohhhh, good choice, good choice!" He said excitedly as he began to scribble along the material.

"Alright then, here's the pen, just sign here along the line." He slid the contract across the table along with the pen before folding his hand around his face again.

The paper was like a very thin leather as he predicted, but felt far stronger than it looked. Nearly the entire thing was covered in writing so miniscule that following a sentence was impossible. Not to mention the entirety of the type was a deep crimson which burned the eyes if it was looked at for too long. He peered up over the document to shoot the odd man a look that simply said, _really_? He merely smiled and shook his hands as if shooing him forward. With a sigh he quickly scribbled his signature while noting the odd tingling in his writing hand.

He slid the contract back across the table and leaned back crossing his arms.

"That's it right? So how we getting there?" The well dressed stranger was just smiling and looking over the contract while he answered.

"Why Andrew my boy, you're already there." The world began to blur like an oil painting in the rain. "Time to wake up." With the quickest snap of the fingers the young man burst upright. His sheets and pillows falling askew as he took in his new surroundings...


	2. Chapter 2 The First Day

At first he thought it to be merely a dream. The room, the man, the deal. All just a part of his subconscious imagination. He let out an exasperated sigh, falling back into the comfort of his bed once more. Of course it was, exciting things like that only happen in cliché movies and weeaboo fanfiction.

He rolled over to his side to look for the glowing numbers of the alarm clock. The faint red light was nowhere to be seen. No big deal, he probably thrown his shirt over it last night. With a grunt he pushed himself to the side of the bed and began to search around the ground for his phone. He scrapped around on the wood flooring in a blind search before bolt of realization hit him. He didn't have wood flooring in his room... Or in his entire house for that matter...

Slowly he pulled his arm back under the cover, his brain trying to process a rational explanation. When none could be found he did the reasonable thing any sane person would do when they woke up in a home that wasn't theirs. He panicked.

Once more he shot upright but this time out of the bed entirely. He stood beside it, breathing heavily as his eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. It was a basic bedroom he could tell that much. The bed was tucked into a corner with a chest at it foot leaving a generous amount of room for the small assortment of furniture. A writing desk, empty bookshelf and a small bedside table were placed around the room leaving it largely barren. There were two windows that were covered by heavy blinds and what looked to be stairs leading downward in the opposite corner from the bed.

With more caution than was necessary he began to slowly move towards the stairway. Light shined up from below telling him it was obviously better lit or that the blinds were open downstairs. Step by step he made his way down finding that his second guess was right. Light streamed in from a multitude of windows revealing the comfortable sitting room before him. It was more of a sitting room or a lounge than a living room. In the middle sat a low coffee table surrounded by a comfortable looking couch and 3 equally comfortable chairs. Empty shelves stood behind the couch and an archway stood opposite from the staircase.

Once more he followed the path presented and walked through the arch into a modest kitchen. A sink, countertops and what appeared to be a stove lined the wall under an array of cupboards, to the right there was a small door labeled as the pantry. To the left was another door with various bolt and chain locks on the inside. This would probably be the door out. In the middle of the kitchen sat a four legged table with two more chairs. On the table sat a book and a note side by side.

Andrew was making his way to the door out when the note caught his eye. More specifically his name. With one more glance at the door he reached over and picked up the note.

'_Dearest Andrew,_

_How's that for fast results? Congratulations, you are in Ravnica! Yippee. As you probably noticed there are no electronics in this world, so have fun with that. This house is yours, quite a nice little bachelor pad don't you think? It's closer to the Azorious and Conclave districts so you shouldn't have to worry about any Rakdos parties coming through. Well, you might, but we did what we could. The book on the table is your cheat sheet to the world, don't lose it cause you only get one. As promised you got a week's worth of food in the kitchen and a nice little chunk of cash upstairs in the chest... That's about it really. Good luck and see you in 5 years! Unless you die._

_S._

The young man didn't even realize he had sat down as he looked around the kitchen, his kitchen. In his house. On Ravnica. With more force than he intended he rushed to the door an ripped it open, gasping as the truth bared itself before him.

Ravnica was the city of guilds, the city of cities. A plane that's entirety was created in the form of a never ending metropolis. Nature had of course pushed back and made itself known but by melding with the city instead of destroying. Building upon building was spread as far as he could see, some collapsing, others standing strong, some with vines traveling up and down their lengths while whole trees had began to grow in and out of another. Each one was different but not wholly unique, as if the designer had chosen to put a minute flare in each one.

Walkways intersected the buildings creating streets and bridges and alleys that spider webbed across the world. Carts were pulled, stalls were manned, carriages and walkers moved in a steady stream. Apparently he was on the third story up from regular street level, or close to it anyway. Looking back he could see there were plenty of levels higher as they got farther away. _Middle class housing. _He thought with a nod. He turned back to his view, fully invested in seeing as much as possible. From his vantage point he could make out the many races interacting in their daily routine. Massive loxodon lumbered along, creating paths for themselves and whoever followed. Decadent merfolk and blue skinned vedelkan flitted in and out sight as they made their way to their destinations, and there were so many more. Darting goblins, proud centaurs and minotaurs, hunched vashiano, not to mention the generous amount of humans.

Andrew could feel the grin on his face growing, his knuckles had turned white against the railway. He actually was here... He turned his face up to the sky just in time to catch a glimpse of an angel speeding through the clouds, her wings leaving the faintest trail of flames behind her. It was all too much, and he finally gave in to the childish urge inside him. Thrusting both fists in the air he screamed at the heavens.

"YYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

This of course got the attention of the several people walking by on the street he resided on. Turning he realized just how many stares he was getting, looking down he realized he was only wearing a pair of what was probably considered under shorts here. Looking back at the crowd he cleared his throat quickly and bolted back into his house. Many of the faces just shrugged and continued on. That was hardly considered odd when compared to some of the things you can see in Ravnica.

Now dressed in a more local form of his favorite clothes, plain shirt with some odd cargo pants knock offs, the youth was seated at the kitchen table running through the guide book. It was largely common sense. The money system ran off gold, silver and lint. Lint was some weird clear mineral that doesn't really have a use so they made it into small change. Like little cut diamonds around 3/8 an inch big. Twenty silver to a gold, 50 lint to a silver. Needless to say, their money standard is a bitch to carry around.

According to the guide the guilds were once again back in action. Though they're far from their former glory they regaining power at a considerable pace. Azorious still act as senate and the general law system. Orzohv deal in religion and finance. Boros take care of public safety, and law enforcement while also acting as Ravnicas army. Rakdos... Yeah they just do their own thing. Izzet was one of the least changed apparently. Niv Mizzet came back a while after the nephilim incident and continued using the guild for the betterment of Ravnica. Golgari still continue with waste management and half of the agriculture dealings while the Conclave take care of the other half along with an alternative religion.

The three that have really changed would be the Simic, House of Dimir and the Gruul clans. The Gruul never really had a structure to begin with. They were supposed to be Ravnica's grounds keepers but had their role taken in part by Simic. So they basically became rebel groups focused on destroying civilization and reinstating nature. Simic was largely taken over by the merfolk and they've been pumping out oddity after oddity ever since. Finally the Dimir never existed in the first place, wink wink, but being from our world Andrew knew this to be bullshit. They're still moving, in the undercity, taking contracts and doing all kinds of things for a new purpose that only they really know.

It was at that point Andrew realized he had quite a bit of information that he shouldn't spread around. That would be bad. Very bad. As in he would die bad. Mentally he reviewed what he knew. Assuming the book and his world correlated he had a list of names to watch for and avoid. Jace Belren was at the top of that list. There was no doubt that mind ripper would use that info for his own purposes. Andrew made a note to try and find someone to train him in mental resistance, not that he was getting anywhere near mizzet, but because you never know.

The rest were of no real consequence, Vraska, Lazav, Domri, Ral Zarek and Gideon. He snorted. That's a large chunk of plane's walkers for one plane. With those thoughts in mind he went back to reading. Apparently the majority of the guilds were in some type of race through the city looking for a lost power. Again, better off for Andrew since it was five years WITHOUT dying that he was trying to succeed in.

With a quick sigh he put down the book and rubbed his eyes. It felt like it was past noon and he wanted to see some of the city on his first day. His stomach sent out a sound that was probably some type of agreement. He pulled himself up and grabbed some bread, meat and cheese from the pantry for a sandwich before sitting back down and staring out the window.

He had a week to find a job. That had finally sunk in. Back home he had just finished with a degree in mechanical engineering. Sure he could fairly decent with machinery... that didn't exist here.. but could that help him at all? "Well, might as well take a look around. Maybe I'll get lucky.." he said to himself. He grabbed a small bag of cash, grabbed the house key off the wall and headed outside.


	3. Chapter 3 Still the First

Imagine a Saturday morning marketplace in a big city. You know the ones. Stall after stall lining the street selling everything from produce to the days freshest catch. People walking by slowly to take in the visual bounty while they looked for their favorite item, some of them stopping to argue or haggle with the shopkeepers. Then you've got the uninterested ones that just want to get through the mess to get to their favorite shops or make it to work on time. Now multiply that by two, change it to every day, and throw in as many different sentient races as you can. Now you've got a typical Ravnican street.

Of course that's not to say every street was packed like a container of Simic brand sardines. Some were quiet walkways, others were mildly populated with people just trying to get to their destinations. Not to mention all the alleys that people frequently darted in and out of. Andrew found that his home was located rather close to one of the more busier ones.

The newly settled human was pushing his way through the bustle of the heavily crowded street. His grin growing in intensity with every second. The view he'd gotten earlier was nothing compared to what he was getting now. Merfolk traveled close enough to pick out the intricate patterning across their skin, he bumped shoulders with elves and vedelkan. He was even nudged out of the way by a massively scarred loxodon who gave a very curt "Excuse me." as he passed by! All of it filled him heightened sense of elation.

He was very careful though as to not go incredibly far from his new accommodations. To get lost on the streets of Ravnica after dark was something he was not prepared for.

Seeing an opening in the crowd he darted through, taking up residence in a safe spot next to an alley off the side of the street. He leaned back against the wall, making a mental note to avoid this particular street during the middle of the day.

His job hunt had been anything but successful. All of the shops close to him had declined needing any type of assistance. The local restaurants only hired you with previous cooking experience, the assorted stores and shops didn't need any extra sets of hands, and he was nowhere near qualified for any of the trades he's seen. Glass spinning, textiles, jewelry, just to mention a few. Of course he'd have to be put in the higher class middle class area.

The list of what he could do was fairly high, agriculture being forefront. Growing up on a farm he learned how to handle livestock, maybe he could find something along those lines. He snorted to himself. No doubt he'd get stuck taking care of a swarm of shark cow beasts.

Going to school for engineering should have given him a small advantage anywhere else. In Ravnica? Noooooope. They were living better with magic than technology could ever do. With the Izzet mixing them both and getting ridiculous results his education was rendered useless. Oh, he tried looking into their form of science. The guide book came with a section on it. Fuck. That. Shit. It made higher physics look like the little shape game you put the blocks through.

Andrew was snapped from his personal thoughts by a rather loud voice right next to him. To be more precise, coming from the alley right next to him. He casually leaned over and looked back wondering what the source was.

It came in the form of a pair of people running towards him. The foremost looked to be a filth covered man wrapped from head to toe in tattered rags. His unclean mop of a hair style mixed with his unshaved beard to hide most of his face. Unfortunately it didn't hide the array of chipped, missing and yellow teeth that were shaped into smile of triumph. The one behind him was too blocked off to see clearly but still yelled out. "THIEF! STAND AND FIGHT COWARD!" A quick glance at the man's hands revealed them to be cradling something the glinted in the light.

The young man leaned back against his corner and with a well timed movement thanks in part to the sound of their footsteps, kicked out a leg in front the pursued man. The affect was far bigger than he thought possible. The first part was the alleged thief letting out a garbled curse as he pitched forward into the waiting dirt. He tried, and failed, to use one of his arms to stabilize himself resulting in an astounding barrel roll into the wheel of a passing cart. The second came in the form of quick footed flash of armor that pounced on the man's groaning form.

Clearly this was the pursuer that had been following close in the alley. He was covered in multiple pieces of plate that resembled light weight combat armor. Legs, arms, chest and back were all covered. The helmet looked to be a standard issue guard helm, all of it was red.

The soldier pulled up the man by the front of his shirt and delivered a rabbit punch that left an audible thunk in the air. The thief was unconscious before he was poised for another hit. He hit the ground and the guard reached over and grabbed the shiny bauble that had been the center of all the chaos before turning and striding over towards Andrew.

"You have my thanks civilian." He said in a voice that made the young man double take. Closer inspection of the face visible behind the steel revealed something far more feminine then he initially believed. A few locks of blonde had come askew from their bindings under the helmet letting them dance around a pair of soft, hazel eyes. Those eyes hardened as she looked behind him down the alley. Two more soldiers had caught up, both wearing similar armor to the firsts. Her smile quickly corrected itself into a frown. "Excuse me sir."

"WHERE IN THE NAME OF THE PACT WERE YOU?" She bellowed at the two latecomers. Both had stood at attention but were obviously winded and still trying to catch their breath.

"Sir! We... We were in pursuit... but the criminal.."

"The criminal used his knowledge of the area to his advantage. You are this sectors guards, that is supposed to be YOUR tactic." She poked one of the guards in the chest to emphasize. "But instead it was a civilian who stalled him long enough to detain!" She took a deep breath to ease the anger. "Take the criminal back for sentencing. I'll return the stolen property. We'll rendezvous and debrief back at the Flare Base."

"Sir!" They both saluted and went over to the still unconscious thief. One put a pair of cuffs on him while the other slung him over his shoulder. Together they headed down the street, the market goers making a path before them.

Once more the female officer walked back over to Andrew. "Again I'd like to offer my- our thanks. They're good officers I assure you, but everyone gets a surprise every now and then."

It took a moment for him to respond, part of him realizing this was a conversation with an actual authority figure, the other still thinking how badass the scene he just watched was.

"Oh, uh, yeah. No problem sir, err uh, I mean maam.." The officer smirked a little as she turned away heading back down the alley. "Relax kid, you did good. May the light of Razia reach you." She was already halfway down the alley before he could respond.

"Hey! I'm not a kid!" She didn't even turn back, but merely waved a hand in recognition.

_Smooooooooooth._

It was several hours later that Andrew found himself sitting in a bar. A Ravnican bar... He knew that the new plane smell would wear off eventually, but until then he was gonna milk it for all its worth. The bar itself wasn't anything amazing. Just an average tavern with an assortment of tables and chairs spread across the room. The bar maid made her way around refilling cups and taking plates, apparently they serve a variety of food here. The atmosphere was homey though, really relaxing. Another upside was the variety of new alcohol! The downside being all the other was nonexistant. So instead of vodka and cranberry he was sipping some type of berry concoction the bar keep assured him would put him to sleep if he wasn't careful. It was delicious and seriously hard to not down in a couple gulps.

He tapped his pen against the parchment next to him, reviewing any useful info he might have missed. Scribbled across were a list of words that made up any type of remotely useful skill that he could put to work. Agriculture and livestock was the first, both were circled. Problem solving, engineering related, basic woodworking, they were off to the side. Metal working was given its own set of items, horse shoes, knife making, decoration. He had been fairly hands on back in the day with metal, his dad had an old gas forge that used to play with regularly. Not to mention his education ran him through basic metallurgy.

"You should try a blacksmith." Andrew was jolted out of his reverie by the unknown voice. He looked up to see the barkeeper cleaning a glass in the classic bartender style.

"What?" he asked somewhat muddled. That drink had started to kick in making him mentally thank the barkeeps suggestion.

"You're looking for a job aint ya?" He nodded toward the paper. "That looks like a skill list."

"Oh. Yeah, it is." He stated dumbly. _Doesn't he know its rude to read someone's stuff?_

"And by the set up it's either something working with metal, or dealing with animals. Sorry to say that you aren't going to find anything like that this far in, so that leaves smithing." He looked up at the barkeeper who was still cleaning his glass like it was the only thing that mattered in the world.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked, unsure of the motives behind his server. The man stopped and looked over at him and shrugged. "No reason, just bored really and anyone can see you're not from around here." He gestured to the rest of the establishment. "Besides, it's not like I'm busy." Sure enough the establishment was largely empty.

Andrew cringed when he was called out. "How bad does it show?" The barkeep just smiled.

"To the average look over, just barely. Anyone who's looking for it, you stick out like a Rakdos festivity master in an Azorious council meeting. Your clothes are the first thing, they lack the colors the locals are fond of. Next is your face, you've got a weird bone structure, barely noticeable but like I said it still shows . Third is your body language, tense and twitching at every little thing. Plus you can't stop looking at your surroundings like it's all new. Finally the biggest is your accent. I'm not sure where you're from, but it sounds like a weird mix of rural and under city." With light clunk Andrew's head hit the bar. _Of course, how could he forget such stupid things like that!_

The barman chuckled this time. "Don't let it get to ya too bad. It's not like you're going to stick out or anything. If anything they just make you unique." All he got as a reply was annoyed grunt.

"So, as I was saying, blacksmithing. I know a guy who's looking for an apprentice. Decent sort but a bit tough." Andrew looked up at the man. He didn't even know his name... but he was willing to help a total stranger...

"Buuuut there is a small issue." The young man gave himself a mental kick for believing in good people.

"He headed out west for some job, something for the Boros. He might have found someone out there already. He's due back in three days." The barkeep leaned back against the letting the info soak in.

"Alright... Yeah, let me know when he gets back. If there's a chance for a job I'll take it. I'll keep looking for other options but for back up." The bartender nodded. "Good, nice to see someone who wants work that badly, you'll do fine."

Andrew held out his hand. "You've helped me this much but you don't even know my name. It's Andrew." The keeper took his hand in his own. "Name's Jivanni friend, welcome to my bar."


	4. Chapter 4 Fourth Day Comes With Plants

**Yo, back with updates. To my esteemed guest readers, first I know Lazav is not a planeswalker. I just lumped him in with the people you'd rather not want to meet. Dudes creepy as hell, and partially insane. Other guest, I do not look in crossovers often so I was referring to the regular MTG section. Thank you for the suggestion though, it is quite likeable. **

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And so the next two days passed in an uneventful fashion. Aside from the wonder of being on a different plane that is. Andrew passed his time exploring his surroundings, soaking in the city's sights and experiences like a sponge. During the day he would frequent the local market streets and parks that caught his fancy while night allowed him to return to Jivanni's bar.

Jivanni himself was proving to be amazingly helpful as well. He continued giving pointers on how to blend in with the locals while also being, in Andrew's opinion, a masterful tour guide. He knew where the best eateries and shops were, along with the best places to avoid.

Apparently, Andrew resided in the Alvine district. As he guessed earlier it was an upper middle class area. This led to a few awkward questions as to how someone so odd without any major skills was able to procure a house there. A few hastily made fibs about inheritance made an excellent cover.

The district itself was at the distant parts of the Conclave and Azorious guild territories with an encroaching Simic border. This led to a relatively peaceful atmosphere with plenty of nature blended into the mix. The Azorious generally avoided the public while keeping enough of a presence to deter trouble. The Conclave tended and nurtured the nature oriented areas to increase their reach, and the Simic were the ones that caused most of the trouble.

The former Simic had lost much of their territory and power thanks in part to the little fiasco with the super mutant thing they made and the loss of their former leader. So when the merfolk came in, they realized what kind of situation they had on their hands and that they needed to change it pronto. Their solution? Pump out as many oddities as they could while also turning huge chunks of the area into "suitable habitats" for their new pets. The many people of Ravnica were not amused.

It broke down pretty simply. You're in the guild, you get all the benefits but lose the freedom. You're not in the guild, freedom but you become fair game for everything and everyone.

It was the fourth day in Andrew's extended plane vacation when things went from joyously pleasant to monstrously agitating, and I emphasize the monstrously.

The human in question was laying against the trunk of a rather large and heavily blooming tree in his favorite park. Multibloom Gates was one of the more heavily forested parks in the district. It got its name from the many Dresil trees that grow there. Each tree produces 20 different flower blooms, each with a unique scent and look.

Andrew inhaled deeply as he watched the many garden tenders work with the flourishing flora. All of them wore the Conclave signet on some part of their person. It was interesting to watch them work. They moved between the flower beds and trees, inspecting each for any type of deformity. Dying flowers would return to full bloom as strong and healthy as they had ever been with merely a word. Low lying branches would twist and warp until they grew up and out of the way. And then they would move on, each with a small smile on their face.

Magic was another thing he had grown particularly fond of seeing. Back home the multitude of cards had made it seem like a horrendous power capable of ripping the world apart if one man said the wrong wording. Here it was everywhere.

Merchants used it to promote their wares, restaurants to cook and clean, and of course the gardeners to keep everything in perpetual beauty. Magic was a constant with no replacement. Most of these people were not true mages though, that took an actual teacher and thus required a good bit of money. They were just using scraps of it to ease their day to day lives.

Between the gently wafting perfume of the tree and his own thoughts, Andrew had fully zoned out from his surroundings. A gentle "Excuse me." woke him from his stupor with a jump. Standing beside him was one of the gardeners he'd been watching.

He was a slim framed man with kindly features. His hair was long and perfectly straight with a color like dull silver. Like the others he was dressed in white robes with his guild crest on his upper right shoulder. From his spot on the ground Andrew could see his ears came to tapered points that just barely stuck out from their curtain of hair.

"Oh, sorry." Said Andrew as he grabbed his things. I'll get out of your way."

"Oh, no. Please don't get up. I was merely going to ask if you were ok. I haven't seen you move for an hour." His voice was far softer than Andrew counted on. It briefly reminded him of a calm breeze.

"Ah, thank you. I'm fine. I just get lost in thought is all." The elf merely smiled and nodded.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Uh, no, not at all. Please have a seat."

"Thank you." He sat in a cross legged position a few feet away before continuing. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name Din Auberna. Third Branchtender of Alvine." He bowed his head slightly. Andrew bowed his in return.

"Andrew, Andrew Miller. I really like your work."

"Hmm, I'm glad. We spend countless hours tending the gardens and trying to keep them in proper order. Tell me, is there a particular reason you chose this tree?"

"The blooms and the smells remind me of home." It was true, the tree had several flowers that resembled a few species from earth along with several reminiscent scents.

"I see. This was one of our less favored trees in the Gates so it's good to see someone enjoying it."

"Do they bear fruit?" Andrew asked, genuinely curious.

"Sadly no, only fragrant blossoms. Most of the fruit producers are kept in Conclave territory for guild profit." Andrew sighed and leaned back against the trunk.

"Yeah, that figures." Din merely chuckled.

"You know, the Conclave always welcomes new members with open-" He stopped and his head snapped to the side. His eyes were scanning the area with a fierceness that shocked the young human.

"Uh, Din? Everything alright?" The gardener continued to search the surroundings as if he hadn't heard. "Someone is channeling mana, a very large amount."

Andrew looked around and noted that all the other gardeners were doing the same as Din. Each was scanning a different area with an intensity that betrayed their calm demeanors. Then, one by one they began to look toward a distant area in the park, hidden well behind a section of foliage. As a group they began to make their way towards it, leaving the beds and shrubbery for a later date.

"Excuse me friend, but this is something I must deal with." Andrew just nodded and let him go realizing he should probably take this as his cue to leave. He would have to, if he hadn't seen the man sitting on a bench only a few yards away. He wore the clothes in the usual local colors, but in a mismatched fashion like they were just grabbed out of a pile. Odd considering everyone favored matching colors. His head was what caught the most attention though. Piercings covered both of his ears while a large stud stuck out in the middle of his lower lip. His eyes looked like they had dark tattoos under them and he was sporting a mohawk that would make most rocker's envious.

For some reason he looked familiar, but Andrew couldn't put a finger on it. The lone figure realized Andrew had spotted him and turned to give him a massive smile. With one glance in the direction that all the guild members had went he got up and began to walk in the other direction.

Of course, he had left a rather large leather bag under the bench. Upon looking at it Andrew realized it was a rather large, _writhing_ bag...

"Uh, Diiiin! HEY DIN!" The called Branchtender looked back at the human running up to him.

"Hmm? What's the matter?"

"This is gonna sound weird but I think I saw the guy who did the thing..." The elf gave him in odd look.

"Okay, that was bad. There was this weird tribal guy who was watching all you guys move then he just up and left but he left his bag to... and it's moving..." Din had understood that.

"Show me."

The two walked towards the bench at a brisk pace. As expected the mystery man was nowhere to be seen but the sack was still there. It was however, empty.

"Huh, it wasn't empty when I saw it." Andrew picked it up revealing a large hole underneath. "Oh... that's where it went."He turned to Din to explain the obvious when the ground began to tremble, abruptly and violently.

The two beings tried to scramble to the side as the dirt below them shuffled and split apart. The perfect lawn and immaculate flower beds were torn asunder as the unknown force from below forced its way topside. A long, green tentacle as thick as a railway tie burst from the ground, followed by another, then another until ten of the rubbery appendages wiggled and swayed around them. From the center burst a mass that resembled three pitcher plants growing out from each other. Instead of an opening to let things fall in they had what appeared to be a jaw at the top of each pitcher lined with thorns as thick as a human ankle.

Andrew watched as the three plant 'heads' seemed to sniff the air before turning towards him and the elf.

"Oh you've got be shitting me..." Probably not the best choice of words given the possibility of being eaten.

"Move!" Yelled Din as he tried to gain a foothold on the heavily destroyed ground. His voice knocked Andrew out of his trance and he began to mimic his partner's escape methods with limited success.

The two began a rhythmic dance of dodging the sweeping and grasping tentacles while at the same time gaining ground. It proved harder than expected when the massive plant began to move with them. The long vines pulling it along while also reaching out for them.

"You got any way to kill this thing?" Yelled Andrew as he jumped over a reaching vine.

"Not in the slightest, I specialize in cultivation not-" he paused as rolled to the side and avoided a downward lashing tentacle. "-extermination."

"This sucks! Let's try for the park gate, it might be too big to- SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

One of the ropey appendages had finally got a hold of him. Instead of sweeping across to take out his legs it did a fake out that forced him into the air while another lashed out and wrapped around him. Andrew was hauled into the air by his right leg. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to have not dangled in the air by one of limbs you should know that it's a terrible, disorienting, and painful experience. Adding the crushing strength of the beast's tentacle did not help the situation.

The vine hauled him over the waiting pitchers, the foremost had opened its lid, jaw thing impossibly wide revealing row after row of tooth like thorns and a bubbling liquid that he could only assume was some type of acid.

A new appendage slithered out of the top part of the creatures jaw, it was a deep purple and covered with wiggling growths the size of your index finger. The first word that came Andrew's mind was _tongue_. Sure enough his hypothesis was proven when it slapped against the side of his face and up the length of his body. Each of the miniature protrusions moved its own way making him shiver and cringe. He swore he could hear someone "Eww" below him.

"Yup, fuck this." He said as he began to swing toward the tentacle base that held him. Within two swings he had managed to reach out and wrap his arms around the rubbery captor. Sensing its prey's movement the hydra released its own grip on his ankle and tried for a full body grab. Andrew wasn't going to let that happen though.

As soon as he was released he wrapped his legs around the limb so he wouldn't fall. Being upside down was disorienting as all hell, but at least he wasn't dangling anymore. Since he finally had a decent grip he reached back, grabbed the small knife strapped to the back of his belt, and started stabbing the creature as many times as he could. Which only turned out to be about three before it made a horrendously high pitched squeal and actually THREW HIM into something alive and heavily armored.

With a groan of pain, Andrew rolled off the plated person below him. "Sorry, not my fault." he said as he mentally checked for anything broken. "Yeah.." came the feminine reply. "I saw that."

He looked over at the voice finding it oddly familiar. As fate would have it the same guard that he helped only a few days ago was lying next to him and trying to get to her feet.

"Oh hey, how you been?" She turned and gave him a look that anyone could read as 'Seriously?'

"Sorry, sorry, still in shock." He sat upright noticing that several guards had arrived on scene and were trying to put down the massive plant with limited success. It wasn't even bothering with the gardeners, in fact it was downright ignoring them. Weird.

"This is a bit out of our league." Said the female soldier. "Back up should be here any minute to take care of it." she turned back to Andrew and offered him a hand up. With a nod of thanks Andrew was back on his feet. He looked back at the scene just in time to see the creature burst through the line of guards and barrel towards him as fast as its root like legs could go. His body went on autopilot as he forcefully shoved the woman out of the way and ran the opposite direction. He'd only gotten a few feet before he was once more held in the air. This time by his arms. _Well that was stupid. Fucking chivalry..._

Another tentacle began to wrap around his legs, leaving him unable to do anything short of biting it if it got close. _Well, it could tear me in half or turn this into a creepy hentai scene... Please dear god let it kill me!_ To his relief and terrible dread, the monster began to pull. Increasing the pressure from both ways and making his back pop in several places. _So this is it..Tore apart by a tentacle monster. Four days and I die, great deal Andrew... _As the young man resigned himself to death he closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable. But it never came.

Instead, the pressure stopped, the creature's grip slackened, and he fell to the ground with an audible thump that knocked the wind from his lungs. His eyes shot open as he began gasping for breath. The scene before him was one he'd never forget.

An angel, sporting deep crimson armor and wings of the purest white stood on the pile of what used to be the hydra's brace of heads. Her massive spear was buried in its core that appeared to be smoldering like a small campfire. She turned to him and gave him a perfect smile that would haunt his waking dreams for the rest of his life. Then with a flourish of her extravagant wings, she was in the air once more, flying towards her next task.

He laid back down against the cool ground, taking deep breaths and trying to get his heart rate under control. He closed his eyes briefly, opening them again to the faces of Din and the guard he had pushed out of the way.

"You just get into all kinds of trouble don't you?" She asked a bit playfully.

"Not on purpose, I swear." He replied a bit wheezily. Din looked over at the now smoking carcass.

"A shame it had to be disposed of." he said. "It really seemed to like you." Andrew searched his face for any type of sarcastic expression but found nothing but a content smile.

"Shut up Din..."


	5. Chapter 5 A Fifth of Filler

Hours later Andrew found himself trying to get comfortable in the sanctity of his own home. Though the couch was as comfortable as it looked, it did nothing for the many bruised and battered parts the yelled out at every little movement. Nothing was seriously damaged, Din had assured him with a short magical check over, but he was going to hurt for a while.

The optimist in him was aware it could have been much worse. There's not a lot that could have fixed him after he was ripped in half. He got lucky, so be happy. The pessimist was too busy complaining about stupid choices that led to his current condition. Could have just walked away like the punk rocker, but noooo. Had to be helpful. Could have let the lady get hit, but again someone had to suddenly sprout a code of honor.

He just grunted and repositioned himself. He had two days to heal up before his potential boss would be back. No exploring, no freak scenarios, just some rest and relaxation while his body fixed itself. Andrew just closed his eyes, thinking about all that's happened so far.

The hydra was an act of rebellion from the Gruul clans. Apparently several other parks had the same experience with varying levels of destruction. Din had told him that it wasn't an "overly pressing" matter and that the parks would be back to their perfect states within a couple days. Dude was weird, but he knew his botany.

The guard he was thrown into finally gave up a name, Vice Protector Aldeena Slate. Andrew still wasn't sure of the various ranks of the Boros guild but she seemed to be pretty high up authority wise. She and her guards had came shortly after the other attacks began thinking they might be able to catch a perpetrator ahead of time. Although they were too late to catch the tribal, their early arrival saved a lot in damage, not to mention Andrew's life.

"You handled yourself fairly well civilian." She had said. "Not many people would have been able to get out of that situation unharmed. Well, in one piece I suppose. And as for shoving me out of the way? That took guts. Once again the Boro's thanks you for your assistance." Her voice lost its bravado and was replaced with something startlingly girlish. "And thanks, on a personal level. It's nice to see there are still some men who know how to treat a lady." Andrew was taken aback at such an abrupt change. _Maybe she wasn't as tough as she seemed.._ "But the next time you touch me without permission I will beat you within an inch of your life and have you charged with everything from sexual assault to attempted murder." _Nope._

So it was that he dragged his beaten body back to his abode. He had enough food for a while longer since he'd been eating at the bar. Chill, recover, and think. Hard to think when your eyelids weigh so much...

His eyes snapped open while his mind started warming up. He had fallen asleep, obviously, but it wasn't a light nap. He was OUT. So what woke him? The first thing that caught his attention was the glowing lamp on the coffee table. No flame, no bulb, just a soft glow emanating from a glass casing. He blinked once, then twice, and finally noticed the impeccably dressed man sitting across from him.

He shot upright but immediately cringed as his battered muscles screamed in protest. A bit more slowly he pulled himself into a sitting position, stretching what muscles he could.

"Now, now, don't get in such a fuss for little old me." said the man with a slight chuckle. Andrew looked up at him, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw the purple and white fabric.

"Just you... I thought it was someone from Dimir." The intruder clapped twice and the glowing trinket filled the room with light, making it as well lit as an afternoon day. His disturbing smile once again decorated his face.

"Nonsense, if it was you'd have never woken up again. I'm just here for a random checkup is all. By the looks of it you're doing pretty well, possible job, making friends, still alive... Not bad for a kid in a brand new plane of existence."

"Yeah, amazing what a little common sense will... Wait, have you been watching me?" The man winked at him.

"Of course, this is a big venture. Not constantly you understand, I'm a busy being, but if it's a major event it gets DVR'd for later." He chuckled again. "Nice job surviving the hydra by the way, that was some good footwork." Andrew just took a deep breath and leaned his head back. _Great, I'm the newest movie channel._

"Yeah, it was awesome..." he said in a totally flat voice. "Not gonna lie though, it is cool. Seeing all this stuff that I'd never get to see at home. The different races, species, magic, everything. I like it here."

"Good! You're supposed to enjoy a vacation after all! Pity you couldn't tell your friends and family back home though, I'm sure they would have been equally impressed."

"Yeah... I bet they would..." Said Andrew with a look at the floor.

"Cheer up bucko, only four years and 361 days till you get to see them again! Now, I must be going. There are other people to check up on, deals to be made, so on and so forth. See you in a couple weeks my boy, and try not to get too homesick!" The strange man snapped his fingers and the world went black.

Andrew woke up to a shaft of sunlight blaring into his face from one of the windows. Voices rang out from the outside signaling the morning commute had started. He sat up, wiping the small trail of drool from his face. A look around confirmed that he had passed out on the couch.

"What a dick..." He said aloud, remembering the talk from last night. _Now I'm going to be thinking about them all day. Shit, and five years? That is a long ass time..._

With a pained grunt he stood up and stretched his stiff muscles before making his way to the bathroom for his morning routine. A hot shower would do wonders for a weary body. In his initial scan of his new home he'd actually missed the bathroom altogether. The door blended in with the living room wall so well that you actually had to look for it.

He came out totally refreshed, but as he expected the soreness was only slightly more bearable. He couldn't help but cringe when he saw his shirtless reflection. Large, dark blotches covered much of his upper body, his arms had a clearly visible pattern from where the tentacle squeezed them, likewise with his legs. Again he thought, it could have been far worse...

After a quick meal he returned to his spot on the couch, guidebook in hand. If he had to be down for a while he might as well learn what he can...

It was nearing nightfall when he finally went stir crazy. He had studied, then took a nap, studied some more, ate, nap, and it was driving him crazy. Sure he felt better, but after so much movement these past days the urge to go out and see everything was driving him nuts. Even before the trip he preferred to be out doing something other than sitting around.

He donned some comfortable clothes and headed out, figuring he could at least go to the bar without getting into some type of shenanigans. Half an hour later he was pleasantly drunk and relaying his meeting with the hydra to an amused bartender.

"Well aren't you the lucky one." said Jivanni as he refilled his mug. "Seems like the Gruul have been more active lately and getting a bit more extreme. Usually they try to avoid public places and civilian casualties. Used to be that they focused on the Orzohv and Azorious but now... now it's getting pretty blurry."

"No shit, I was there. Weirdo actually smiled at me. Still think I seen him before somewhere though."

"Ravnica's a big world, but nothings impossible."

"Truuuue that." A hand clapped on his shoulder as a voice sounded out from beside him. "Good to see you're up and moving." He looked back to see a woman in her twenties smiling at him. Perfectly straight, blonde hair fell around her shoulders giver he a very regal look. She wore a modest dress of deep blue that seemed to shimmer in the light.

"Uhh, have we met?" said Andrew as he continued to look her up and down.

"What, can't recognize me without my armor? I'm hurt." She punched him playfully in the side, which felt more like a professional jab in his state. Then it clicked.

"Holy shit! Aldeena? So thaaats what you look like without armor...Awesome..." She looked up at Jivanni who made a little drinkie sign back at her. Andrew either didn't notice or didn't care. He pat the open spot next to him. "Have a seat, whatchya want? I'll buy."

"Oh yeah? In that case I think I will." She hopped up on the stool next to him and made her order while Andrew got a refill of his own.

"So what brings you out on the town? And dressed to impress to boot?"

"Oh so because I'm a guard I can't have fun or look nice?" Her voice was serious and unwavering.

"No! I mean, no there's nothing wrong with that, I was just wondering.. I'm sorry if-" She cut him off with giggling.

"Relax, just messing with you. I'm meeting a couple friends for a girls night, sometime's its nice going out and not having to worry about thieves, murder and all that bad stuff." He snorted and smiled.

"You're a terrible person, and I approve."

"So glad to have your approval." she said while rolling her eyes."How bout you, what brings you out tonight?"

"Got tired of relaxing and trying to heal. Stayed inside all day, but couldn't take it anymore so I wound up here. I like this bar."

"Huh, I figured you'd be down longer after that beating. Good to see you're made tougher."

The two lapsed into contemplative silence for a moment, letting the band's music waft over them. It was Andrew who broke the peace.

"Hey, do angels ever got to bars?" She gave him a look that asked if he was retarded.

"What?"

"Well you said it was a girls night, and there was that angel that broke the hydra earlier. So I was just wondering..." he trailed off taking another sip of his drink.

"You were wondering if the flesh and blood definition of hope, justice and righteousness ever goes to a place where common folk pay to lower their inhibitions and muddle their judgment..."

"Hey, flesh and blood, anything with those qualities likes to have fun."

"Well yeah but.. Actually I don't know now. Dammit, now that's going to bother me. What's it matter to you anyway?" she sounded suspicious. Andrew put his hand on his chin and swirled his drink, watching the contents.

"I always liked angels, I thought it'd be cool to be friends with one. When I was little I always got to see pictures and hear about them but the chances of ever meeting one were next to nothing. I lived pretty far away from any places that had them, so when I moved here, saw them burning through the sky, and when that one practically saved me... Well, I figured I finally got my chance."

Aldeena was looking at him oddly. Not with suspicion, but more of an avid curiosity.

"You could join the Boros. You'd actually get to work with them then." Andrew shook his head.

"Pass, I'm trying to avoid the guilds in general and make my own living." She smiled and shook her head. "Nah, you don't get it, you can't avoid the guilds. One day you'll have to choose a side." She looked like she was going to continue when someone shouted from the door. "ALLIIIEEE!"

She turned her head and waved at the young woman before turning back to him. "Well, theres my group. It's been fun, but I gotta go. See you around Andrew." She downed the rest of her drink then strolled off to her friends who had found a table on the other side of the room.

"They do actually." said Jivanni as he reached under the bar for a bottle.

"Huh?"

"Angels, they do occasionally go to bars. Not this one mind you, the places in the upper class living areas. Plus they have their own housing above the clouds, so I assume there's something up there."

"Man, is there anything you don't know?"

"I'm a bartender. It's my job to know."


End file.
